Posts by Stefan Paetow
102 posts • joined Tuesday 3rd April 2007 13:25 GMT
Various questions... and answers
A question to The Reg: Why not add the Bose QC2 headset? They are different to the QC3 in size and powering method.
Those asking about carrying cases, Bose ships a semi-rigid case for theirs that fits the QC2 and QC3 perfectly.
And the customer service you get from them is definitely worth the money... And yes, their headphones ARE worth that much for the quality of sound and quality of noise cancelling.
Re: Cryptonomicon vs Digital Fortress
I totally agree that Digital Fortress is a pile of utter putrid crap and a waste of forest.
Cryptonomicon on the other hand - PHOARRR, I liked it!!
And yes... Tom Hanks is crap as the main character. All I see is "Life is like a box of chocolates..."
I hope this applies to TV Licensing too
The bastards keep harrassing people without a TV license (by choice) the same way.
Posted in KTM: electric dirt-bike out next year
And what's wrong...
... With the sound of tortured single-piston two-stroke engines?
KTM rocks. ;-)
To Sarah... and others...
... We know that London should become its own country... in fact it already is known to be a third-world banana republic masquerading as a first-world capital. Soooo... :-)
And snow is fun! What's the fuss about? Take the day a bit slower, a bit more careful and you'll get to work and back in one piece.
Posted in Obama gets to keep his BlackBerry
Designed in USA, made in China
You should read the contents and writing on your iPhone box better...
About bloody time!
These contracting companies take the mickey... David Craig already wrote about this 4 years ago in "Plundering the Public Sector".
Posted in Nokia reveals Tube's UK launch date
Lovely...
Which network will have it though... on contract? I'll happily hold out until I know.
Posted in Darling's budget targets small business
Re: Bucking Fankers!
If you looked carefully, the new 45% tax bracket is scheduled to come into play after the next election, i.e. 2010. That way Labour can say that they didn't break their promise not to introduce more taxes. And yes, Labour admitted that freely that it is the reason behind that strategy.
Go figure.
Posted in Net pedants dismantle Quantum of Solace
@Alex Wright
Well Alex, that's why you have continuity people who keep track of things. Who is wearing what when and where. Which door they go in and what the door is supposed to look like when they leave it.
And yes, it's a nightmare to keep everything together (it's like herding cats), but for the movie's sake, keep continuity glitches to a minimum. That's what continuity people are there for!
Posted in Net pedants dismantle Quantum of Solace
Yes, continuity is a very pesky thing...
It amazes me how many movies make some really stupid continuity mistakes.
That said, the Quantum of Solace people get a bit of a gap for Bregenz. Bregenz itself may not have an airport or airfield, but the closest airport is 15 miles away in St Gallen (Switzerland), while Friedrichshafen (Germany) is 20 miles away. It's not the end of the world where gaffes are concerned. There are a lot bigger ones... like the 'Eco Hotel' blowing up.
If you ever want to see a movie where continuity clearly was not a priority, watch Supercross.
Posted in Michael Crichton dead at 66
What a shame... now we'll never know what happens to Odd.
I liked Odd Thomas. Now we'll never know how the story ends...
Rest in peace Michael.
Windows for Workgroups 3.1 (not 3.11)
Still runs like a cat on fire on my Athlon X2. I have never seen an OS (MS-DOS 6.22) and a GUI shell (Win3.11) load this quickly before...
You'll be missed. :-)
Posted in TfL considers life without Oyster
Astonishing that LU doesn't own the brand...
But what can you expect from organisations who don't 'get' it where trademarks are concerned...
I hope whoever drew up THAT contract is fired (oh, hang on, Ken's out already anyway).
Posted in Paris ups sticks to London
She failed to grab the attentions of the princes...
Because they're not even in the country at the moment. They're both in Africa, raising money for four charities.
Goes to show she doesn't read Auntie Beeb.
Re: TV Licensing is for the opressed
Actually, it is ONE license per household, which means your five sets are covered by one license.
However, in certain other countries that use TV licensing (*cough*SA*cough*), you can't get away with claiming that your TV license covers the household. They usually don't bother, but there the license is apparently per set.
On another note, yes, retailers are legally obliged to notify TV Licensing with your details if you have bought equipment that is capable of receiving and displaying TV signals. I have yet to see PC World do that with TV cards though (not that I've bought one, but someone else has).
@Simon Ward Re: letters from TV Licensing
Simon, if you threaten them with legal action for harrassment, writing it in a letter and sending it to them, they'll stop. I wrote a very strongly worded letter to TV Licensing regarding their tactics, and threatened to take them to court for harrassment if I received one more letter that practically accused me of being a criminal.
They apologised and stopped the letters. DO NOT bow down to them. Tell them they are thugs and nothing better, and that you won't have it. Other people (see the URLs below) have done the same:
http://www.marmalade.net/lime/
http://www.energygrid.com/action/2007/02-tvlicensing.html
The below links are very useful and sum up some of the things I've done. The second is a great form letter:
http://www.bbctvlicence.com/Tips%20for%20avoidng%20TVL-BBC%20harassment.htm
http://www.giddyboy.f2s.com/TVLetter.html
Also, the BBC Trust is currently investigating the claims by many people about the heavyhanded tactics of TV Licensing, I emailed the BBC Trust to tell them my story, and they responded saying that they'd added my name to the list of people who have had a bad experience. You should too. You can contact the BBC Trust from their homepage.
I fail to see the problem...
... Perhaps I don't have this inane fear of "omg, young man being buggered in picture"...
Does that mean that this, since it does not come with age warnings, could be considered porn?
Bad Reg, bad, bad, bad!
David I and Anders O...
Two great guys who used to interact a lot with us Delphi geeks on both the borland.* newsgroups and later the Borland community.
They were very much open to discussion, and from what I remember, used to take a lot of what was suggested on board to see if Borland could do better.
A shame that Borland spun out CodeGear, but if Embarcadero is able to leverage that to its advantage, then so much better for all of us. Perhaps there is still some hope.
:-)
Posted in Intelligence documents left on a train
Yay. NOT!
This country is going down the crapper - FAST!
Wait for the parliamentary ping-pong for this new law... House of Commons votes it in, House of Lords votes it down, House of Commons votes it in again, House of Lords votes it down again. And so it continues until Brown gets fed up, invokes the Parliament Act and in turn turns his government's reputation (the few shreds they have left) into the laughing stock of the world.
God help Britannia.
Posted in iRobot Roomba 560 robot vacuum cleaner
The Roomba...
A friend of mine has two of these (one is the Scooba, the other the Roomba), and she is perfectly happy with both. Granted, she says that she runs her regular vacuum around the house once a week, but with four cats in the house, the Roomba keeps the place looking clean without being anal about it.
It's her little helper, not a complete vacuum cleaner replacement.
Posted in CSC cranks the whalesong up to 11
Lovely logo...
Still the same shyte company though. I love the client who said "it just says to me that they're cutting corners" - Well said.
And this logo just screams "we saw the Vodafone logo, liked it, cut one corner off and put our three letters on".
I mean... come on. Who are you kidding?
Angela Hoy is right...
Amazon Advantage IS onerous. The terms are a rip-off, whichever way you swing it. If I could find a POD service that served Europe, I'll be happy to switch to them instead of this ludicrous bunch.
Beautiful!
This is just brilliant. I love it. Babbage, Brunel and several other genial engineers and scientists continue to amaze today, especially taking into account the basic technology that was available back then, and that some of the work was done with calculations, measurements, and staking their reputations on their work.
My hat off to Charles Babbage.
Guess what Mr Ertegrul...
It's not The Register who is stirring the negative sentiment against you. It's US, free citizens, who prefer NOT to be profiled. Bollocks to your excuses, to your reasoning; you are trying to make money off my browsing habits, you pay ME, not my ISP. The cheek...
Here's to a nice fat lawsuit against BT and Phorm for breaching RIPA in 2006.
I'm with Angela Hoy and Lightning Source customers...
I worked on a book project last year, and as part of it, I was asked to investigate online shop front options (including print-on-demand) through Amazon.
Let's just say that Amazon is, frankly, pathetic. The book we tried to sell would've had to sell for $45 (and it still does when ordered from Europe thanks to shipping) or £25 retail to keep the margins we expected to have. Instead Amazon wanted the pricing to be so slanted to their benefit that we decided NOT to use Amazon at all. Has that hurt us? Yes it has, no doubt. But on principle, I guess it would've probably hurt us more to ship through Amazon, pay them up front for storage and without guarantees of actually selling anything.
Print-on-demand through BookSource was only available to US customers (i.e. authors/publishers in the US), even though we could have arranged that, they were not interested. It could've saved us money, but hey - Amazon is king, Amazon demands, Amazon doesn't give a rat's about the authors and publishers.
So Angela - GIVE EM HELL!!! I would too.
Posted in Transgender man prepares to give birth
Funny that...
... People seem to completely miss the point that said transgender has made it clear that he will be the father and his wife, hysterectomy or not, will be the mother. Evidently the child will know it has a father and a mother - That's more than what other kids have.
So what if daddy gave birth because he was smart in that kind of sense? I don't think they intend to trumpet that fact around town or elsewhere. They intend to live their lives normally as can be done.
To TrishaD et al - you GO girl/boy! Diversity rules. :-)
Gatwick...
Gatwick also shares the lounge between local and international passengers. But there they use a webcam to take a photo and compare those.
No problem there... so why fingerprints?
@Michael Mahous
Michael, if you go to Mercedes' website, you will notice that Mercedes is very much aware of EGR-based NOx reduction, however, you appear to fail to take into account that particulates in the exhaust matter too (especially when it comes to freight - which is where BlueTEC first made its appearance, in Mercedes freight trucks).
Mercedes did a series of tests and found that to avoid particulates, the diesel would have to be burnt at higher temperatures, which ups the NOx emissions. So they use a urea-based component (AdBlue) to reduce NOx emissions by mixing it into the exhaust. The AdBlue solution turns into water, nitrogen and oxygen through a catalytic reaction, reducing NOx AND particulates in one fell swoop,
That's why EGR does not work for them. EGR would reduce the fuel burn temperatures, which means diesel burns less effectively, which means more particulates in the exhaust.
Sue the bastards!
If I ever find out that they've been sucking down my data, I'll join in the lawsuit against them.
Take them down!
Posted in Iomega says no to EMC
Strange...
I never had problems with any of my Iomega hardware. In fact, my 2GB Jaz drive, God bless it, still runs and still stores some of my software and my archives.
I guess it just depends on how well you treat your hardware. That said, Iomega was very obliging when I asked whether they would have a driver for the PP Zip 100 drive for Windows NT 4 to save me from having to boot into *blechhh* Windows 3.1 to use it. I guess I was one of many because 6 months later I got an email from them asking whether I'd like to test the driver. And a year after that, they had integrated it into their software completely and it was rock solid.
So no, never had a customer service issue with Iomega, never had a hardware failure, never had a problem anywhere. I wouldn't mind owning more of their stuff, but it's all niche stuff, and sadly, niche ain't my style.
@ joe K
Really... and them taking my DNA profile while they're at it is ok too? Just like they did with David Mery?
NOT A BLOODY CHANCE!!! I am NOT a criminal, and I will NOT be treated as one, even if it's on the basis that "10,000 false alerts arise for one real lead, that is a fair price to pay".
I'm sorry, but I've come from a country that intimidated its citizenry with 'OMG, they're hiding behind the doors, they have bombs, you must report them!' and the like. I moved to the UK to be free of that crap.
Except... now the Met is starting up with the same.
@Paul Bottomley
Oh yes... I had one of those letters too recently, telling me that as an Option 1 customer I'll be so much better off soon.
Thankfully I only use BT for line provision, not for any telecoms services whatsoever.
Posted in Microsoft releases latest XP SP3 build
@JayKay
Not everyone buys their laptops from Cheng Shin... and it's not only no-name Chinese/Taiwanese (as you're trying to imply) brands that can be cheap. Strangely enough I've had a US brand laptop go wrong after just under a year, and have had nothing but hell trying to have it fixed.
After paying 300 quid for a Toshiba replacement (after the US manufacturer dawdled on getting my machine back to me in a FIXED state), two years later that Toshiba laptop is still going strong. So going on a Mac-laptop-is-superior-to-cheap-300-quid-versions lecture is not only misguided, but makes you look like a smug prat. Sorry, but it's true.
If all the software I need and invested money into, ran on Mac, and the manufacturers took back my Windows version in exchange for a Mac one (and they don't), I'd be switching in an instant. However, writing off a substantial software investment is not financially viable for a small company.
Posted in Microsoft releases latest XP SP3 build
XP SP3
Running XP SP3 on my XP Home laptop at home (don't ask). Seems to work fine, although I had the hibernate/restore from hibernate go wrong once or twice. But this is apparently a known issue and being addressed.
I don't mind running SP3, especially when it gets rid of those 100 odd little 'security updates' that clutter up my ARP applet. One pack to contain them all (to coin a phrase).
:-)
Posted in Calls to ban hoodie-busting sonic weapon
The sad fact is...
... That as someone over thirty I can still hear the sound. So it does not infringe on the rights of teens only... it infringes on my rights too.
I wear hoodies, because they are comfortable. I wear trainers for the same reason. I don't misbehave, but I'm automatically lumped in with the yobs because of the way I dress, and because of the fact that my hearing is still better than 50% of my age class.
So yeah, use it where it's really needed (like fire engines when they are being pelted by bottles and stones), but NOT where it causes an indiscriminate section of society discomfort.
Now that's a new one...
... Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Well done to her.
I love it!
For a bit of senseless entertainment, it's not bad. Reminds me of the famous Honda ad.
Re: Can the last person to log out....
Well, actually the High Court of Hamburg in Germany has ruled that for German websites, the website operator is liable for the content that he links to, even if it is an external and different website, unless there is a statement specifically disclaiming such liability.
That's why you get the link "Impressum" on most German websites with a statement expressly disclaiming all liability for linked content.
Posted in Reg readers bring down HMRC website
@Neural9
The fine is only relevant if you have not PAID your outstanding bill by January 31. If you submit your tax return on August 1 the previous year, you can keep all your tax dosh in your high-interest account until January 28, and then do your EFT to HMRC in time for it to show on your account on January 31.
There. Problem solved. You earn more interest (on which you have to pay tax the next year), but your return is in before the deadline and you don't have to slog through a slow system.
HMRC publish the sortcode and account number into which you can EFT your taxes due, and they are even so nice to provide you with a reference once your return has been looked at and processed, so it's not like you HAVE to log into the SATR system to make your payment.
It really is not difficult.
Posted in Reg readers bring down HMRC website
Your mum
Well, yes, numbers can terrify you, but that still doesn't mean you should leave it to the last minute. Plenty of therapists will tell you that being well-prepared helps. Start getting the required pieces of paper, like the tax certificates from the banks, the P60 and other items, together as you get them - Put them in a folder or something marked "SATR". Then going through a SATR with someone like you (who obviously appears to not be disnumerate and calm), can pull this thing through together.
It amazes me that people tell one AC how dare he suggest to send it in earlier; being well-prepared and well-organised means you get to put it out of your mind sooner. I have to admit that I wait until after December (so I can get my company returns dealt with first), but I should preferably do it before September so PAYE can pick up the slack for me.
It is not that difficult, people, really. That said, HMRC have ramped up capacity in recent years, I don't know about you, but a few years ago you could consider yourself lucky to even get it done online 5 or 6 days before the deadline because the system was completely inadequate.
Paris because she is probably smart and has her tax advisor do it waaaay before deadline. :-)
Digital zoom? Please... what a waste.
8x Digital Zoom means nothing. It'll just turn crap photos into even more crappy zoomed shots.
Optical zoom is actually what you want.
Posted in IBM snubs OS/2 open source plea
I am not an OS/2 fanboi, but it's not coulda, shoulda, woulda...
... OS/2 has been a very stable, if finicky, OS. Many ATMs (holes in the wall) run on OS/2 and still do a fantastic service. They crash less than the XP or 2K ones that I've seen.
Nothing like watching a LloydsTSB ATM reload after a system crash... be prepared to wait for 10 minutes of amusement.
I never had the chance to try OS/2 v4 after running v3 (Warp) on a Twinhead 486SLC (yes, a Cyrix chip) laptop...
Well done Tanya!
SUE the b**tards some more!
Bloody cheek...
Calling Boeing fan boys, calling Boeing fanboys...
... Where's your smugness now?
I was accused of working for Airbus (which I don't) when the Dreamliner hit delays the first time and I commented on that. Yet the Boeing fanboys kept on sniggering. I guess this makes it even...
Airbus 2 : Boeing 2
Building planes is not an easy task. Both Airbus and Boeing know that now.
Posted in It was the MacBook Air sub-notebook
I would've liked it...
... If it didn't have a sealed in battery, and the lack of multiple I/O (USB/Firewire) ports.
Oh well. The Toshiba will have to do a while longer.
Nice... good way to fool the burglars...
They think it's a toy, you know it's a CCTV camera. :-)
Posted in GPS is killing children
Re: re: Roads Versus Dirt Tracks
JK, you may think it's funny, but I know what Llanfair is on about. That said, when you are directed down one of those, you can always use your common sense and not turn down it, and possibly zoom out if a larger alternative is available ahead.
Posted in UK nuke-power plans leak early
Re: In for a penny in for a pound
AC wrote: "I'm assuming power cuts, people going hungry and dead frozen old people will encourage people to put aside their objections to mega tidal/wind/solar/dam projects."
You assume wrong. All that will happen will be people condemning the government of the day for not saving them or for safeguarding our power future.
Posted in Clarkson's 'steal my ID' stunt backfires
Re: Signature? No problem
Well, it's easily photoshopped and enhanced to look authentic. Anyone with a bit of time could.
It is rather disconcerting. One reason why anything financial here gets shredded once it has exceeded its use (like statements once their statutory keep dates expire).
